


Ninjago: Ripped World

by Rom247



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Elemental Dragons, F/M, Realm Jump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-08 09:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 18,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12861408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rom247/pseuds/Rom247
Summary: Cole and Nya return battered and broken from an unknown realm. The fragile balance of the group is in question until the true events of Cole and Nya’s time apart are revealed.Cole and Nya face an otherworldly foe and discover a new complexity to their powers that would tie them together as they could never have imagined. The remaining ninja, unable to access the Realm are left frustrated, incapable of saving their teammates and a secret of the First Spinjitsu Master is revealed.A realm crossing adventure. The story spins the Jay/Nya/Cole love triangle taking it in a different direction. A realistic handling of the Ninjago characters with an older sensibility, action and romance.If you enjoyed Ripped World, read the sequel Ripped World 2 (cleverly titled)....





	1. The Beginning of The End

The air compressed and the world distorted. The pull of the vacuum of space and time clawed at their bodies. An inescapable force propelled them through the portal. For a split second their actual existence seemed in question; every fibre expanding, separating and mingling, one with the inter-dimensional coupling of worlds.

The explosion violent and spectacular, catapulted them back to where the two worlds collided, days, weeks or months before. The glowing Moss Dunes of Ninjago City Bay reclaimed their battered bodies, laying discarded amid the expelled debris of The Forgotten Realm. Chewed up and spat out, they had made it back and lived.

With just the stars to remind her of her place in the universe, Nya's still eyes watched her breath snake into the cold dark night. It felt like a lifetime before she was able to move and her heart cried out for her friend. With the smallest of movements, she reconnected with the world; tentative fingertips felt the moss and rubble. Slowly she turned her head, focussing her eyes and searching the black landscape for a sign of the darkest Ninja. The soft phosphorescent glow of the moss threw its welcome light onto a familiar shape. He was here.

‘Cole’ Nya released his name in a long sigh of relief.

Cole was barely meters from Nya, close enough for her sigh to rouse him and in that moment he felt the distance was too great. He rolled to pull himself up, pushing through his muscular arms and unfurling his body slowly. Disorientation got the better of him and he stumbled letting his hands clamp down on the rocks to steady him. He moved slowly, reorienting himself after the impact of the realm jump. But the draw was too strong, he could not wait any longer. His dark eyes bore through his dishevelled black hair. He could see Nya ahead; she had managed to rise up onto one knee looking towards him, her breath heavy, clothes torn and her skin bearing the marks of their ordeal. Cole felt a surge through him, his reflexes were razor sharp once more. Back on home soil the power he channelled from the core of the world reactivated him. The Black Ninja was back.

Nya was strong, but did not have the Earth Ninja's hit of power to invigorate her. As the Water Ninja, she took comfort from the dew in the moss and it refreshed her senses. Looking up at Cole, he took her breath away. So much about their time away had changed them and Cole’s powers had transformed immeasurably, so much that she could see the charge emanating from his body. She met his intense gaze and knew. She knew nothing would be the same between them. She could feel the vibrations in the ground and she knew his intent. She rose to meet him and almost collapsed, but he was there, pulling her to him. Her face tilted up as Coles arm wrapped around her back and his body arched over hers. 'the perfect wave' she thought as their bodies surged together, their lips finally meeting.

As the kiss reached its gentle release their bodies stayed close, the rise and fall of their chests in perfect synch. The air around them was charged; a galaxy of particles, rocks and drops of dew were suspended in the frozen moment. Exhaustion overcame Nya. Cole watched her eyes roll and felt her body go limp. He took her weight as the darkness of sleep overwhelmed her. Looping his arm under her legs, he picked her up as the floating rocks fell to the ground.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 2 - The Aftermath**

Nya falls into an exhausted sleep. Cole punishes himself through guilt. Jay has suspicions and looks to Zane for answers. Perhaps we'll have to go back to the beginning for all the answers and find out how our favourite Ninjas have ended up in this predicament. Please come back to read more.


	2. The Aftermath

Jay leant in the doorway of Nya’s room, his forehead rested on the back of his hand. His introversion was at odds with the Lightning Ninja’s naturally energetic countenance. Apart from the fact that Nya was now hooked up to drips and monitors, something had felt very wrong since their return.

Zane had found them. Cole was holding Nya unconscious in his arms. She had yet to awaken from her coma-like state, unable to fill the silent void that hung in Coles’ re-counting of their time in the forgotten realm.

Jay crossed his arms tightly to his chest. ‘Where are you Nya?’ He whispered into the quiet room. ‘What is it that Cole’s not telling me?’ He desperately wanted her to wake up, but was uncertain he would like the outcome when she did. He turned away from the room. Across the hall he could see down to the courtyard where Cole was now spending the majority of his time, locked in combat with the sparring equipment. The continual ‘thud’ of Coles’ kicks and blocks only served to heighten Jay’s sense of unease.

Perhaps he should talk to Zane. He did after all find them. Could he have seen something or talked to Cole before the team converged on them?

Zane had reacted very strangely when Cole and Nya disappeared. Something Master Wu described as an extreme empathetic response. After the portal had vanished and the remaining team had no choice but to return to the Bounty, Zane had withdrawn into his own system. He had optimised his myriad scanning features and stood sentinel at the helm of The Bounty, day and night, wind or rain searching for some sign. Though nothing came.

Jay needed some empathy now and even if Zane had no answers, he hoped he could help him. He decided to head to the mooring escarpment, where Zane would undoubtedly be working on the Destiny’s Bounty II.

He entered the courtyard from the cool dark under croft. Squinting in the bright sunlight, a black silhouette whirled feverishly connecting with the pads of the training structure. Jay’s eyes adjusted as he walked across the yard. Cole stopped as he saw him, but neither made an attempt to interact. Cole was breathing hard, drenched in sweat and red from the heat. He had always been intense but this was something else. Jay carried on and left through the gateway, hearing Cole resume his tortuous training.

As Jay walked onto the mooring escarpment he could hear thuds and clanks coming from below the ship. Zane was inside the hull, having pulled the guts out of The Bounty and was cleaning the connection heads to all the drive valves.

‘Dude, I really hope we don’t need to actually use The Bounty anytime soon’. Jay quipped as he ducked his head down, looking into the cavernous underbelly of the craft.

‘Jay. My friend’ came Zane’s cheerfully monotone welcome. ‘Would you be so kind as to help me re-connect the Drive cables? They are laid out in sequence, please be vigilant in the order you pass them to me.’

‘Sure.’ Said Jay and picked up the first, at which Zane nodded his affirmation. It was quick work, even though there were fifty of the shiny facetted metal cables.

‘Fancy a break?’ Jay asked when complete.

‘I would’. Replied Zane.

They sat in the shade, under the bow of the hull. Looking off the escarpment and across the vast emptiness of sky. A few wisps of cloud snaked below them in what was a beautiful clear day and Jay felt he could stare into the endless blue void forever.

‘What is on your mind my friend?’ Zane gently asked.

‘Is it so obvious Zane?’ replied Jay.

‘Yes’. Replied Zane simply.

Jay took a deep breath. He hunched his back, slunk his head down between his knees and exhaled. He knew Zane well enough to know that asking him a question was actually quite a tricky thing. If you wanted the correct answer, you had to ask the correct question. It felt very alien to him to be so direct. This was going to be painful.

‘Ok. Zane. When you found Nya and Cole…’

‘Yes’.

 

‘…’

 

‘Jay?’

‘Don’t rush me man, I’m… just, trying to find the right question.’

‘I understand. Take your time’.

‘Nya and Cole. When you found them, before the rest of us arrived. Was there anything that you saw or heard that might not have been mentioned in Cole’s re-counting of their realm jump?’

‘Saw or heard?’ repeated Zane.

‘Yes, you know, like… I don’t know what, but something. Anything that could explain what’s going on?’

‘What’s going on?’

‘Grrr. Zane you metal head, must you be so literal? I am going out of my mind, Nya is still asleep, I miss her…’

'Yes. I understand. You miss her very much.' Zane was silent for a moment, following with 'I do too'.

‘You do?’

‘Yes. Very much so. As you know Nya and I work closely together. She is responsible for many of my upgrades and subsequent progression as a… being’. Jay listened, sensing this wasn’t the time make a glib remark, but to be honest he really didn’t have the energy to try, so he stayed quiet. ‘You may not realise this Jay, but my AI sensors are continually reading, relaying, processing, reacting and outputting. A cycle that emulates human learning.’

Jay screwed his eyes tight. ‘I’m confused. Is this relevant’?

‘Yes’.

‘Ok, lets run with it. I’m listening’.

‘As I progress as a being, daily. My synapses create new links. The infinite possibilities of those links will ultimately allow me to ‘feel’ new experiences and make links to humans in a way that they understand. This is how we can be friends Jay. The longer I live, the more complex my AI becomes and while I cannot ultimately ever ‘feel’ in the same way as a human, I can _understand_ what they are feeling and so translate that into my own artificial feeling’.

‘Hold the phone metal head. Are you trying to tell me you have feelings for Nya?’

‘Yes, of course I do’ he continued with a laugh ‘She is my very great friend. My best, human friend I would say’.

Jay threw his head back in exasperation and slid his hands down his face. ‘Ugh. I don’t understand’.

Zane shook his head lightly. ‘Jay. My friend. What I am trying to explain to you, is that…’ Zane chose his words carefully. ‘If I, as a non-human, with a complicated but limited natural ability to create emotional links, is able to develop meaningful relationships, then Cole and Nya after an intense time in a different realm would have developed their relationship through necessity. I believe Cole is in love with Nya and likely the reverse also.’

‘Nggggyah! Couldn’t you have just said that! Ya’ bucket brain!’

‘Don’t shoot the messenger. As they say.’

Jay was up on his feet. A simmering anger had found its rolling boil. ‘I knew it. I _knew_ it. That no good, evil, stinking, dirt pusher’ He was pacing up and down, not sure quite where to go or what to do next.

‘Jay. Please do not throw yourself over the precipice.’ Zane said in a worried tone.

‘I’m _not_ going to throw myself off the precipice _Zane_ ’. Jay said as he turned and headed back to the courtyard.

‘This I am very thankful for’. Zane called in answer to Jay, letting him leave.

His anger growing with every step, he headed back to the courtyard and his so called best friend. 

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 3 - The Confrontation**

Where Jay loses it. Cole takes it. Nya sleeps on, oblivious.


	3. The Confrontation

The blow came out of nowhere. Cole knew exactly who it had come from. He let the blow consume him, he absorbed it, felt it. Because he deserved it.           

Cole hit the parched cobbles. Dust thrown up in the still air as he skidded to an unceremonious stop. An exhausted heap, he could finally stop his self-imposed punishment. Jay obviously knew, but _how_ did he know? ‘Nya?’ he looked up at Jay. ‘Is she awake’?

‘No. No, she’s not awake, dirt for brains. And if she was I would not be letting YOU anywhere near her.’

‘Well, that’s for Nya to decide’.

‘What?’ Jay was incredulous. Thin blue fronds crackled around his forearms. ‘That’s all you have to say to me? That’s it? Me or _you?_ No explanation. No apology? What the hell went on while you were gone? You set about luring Nya away from me? I let you go. I let you save her. It should have been me! I trusted you. I put my _faith_ in you.’

Cole was still sitting on the cobbles. His black training robe covered in soft lime dust. He had been dreading this moment. But here it was, not quite as he had imagined but having never been able to imagine the right words it was just going to have to play out. ‘Jay.’ Cole began. ‘I didn’t know this would happen. How could I? All I wanted was to find her and bring her back.’

‘Yeah well, well done with _that_! You seem to have broken her’. Said Jay, letting his anger control his words.

‘That’s not fair. How we even managed to create the return Realm Jump… It was a near impossible task, practically a suicide mission. We may never have made it back at all, Jay.’

‘Don’t try and make _me_ feel bad about this boulder brain’.

Cole held his hands up, a sign of surrender and placation. ‘Jay. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I know how I feel. I think I know how Nya feels, but… I could be wrong. Why do you think I didn’t say anything? I felt wretched enough. You think I _want_ to feel like this? I don’t. It’s tearing me apart.’ Cole knew how anxious Jay could be and this development may just push him over the edge.

‘Just don’t say anything else’ said Jay. His hands covered his face. He threw back his head letting his arms drop limp by his side. As he searched the sky for clarity, his anger welled up and he channelled it all into an electrical blast that radiated down through his body into the earth below.

There was nothing to be done now. Time had intervened and another world had brought Earth and Water together. An offering, a surrender. Cole’s heart ached with the weight of his betrayal and welled with the love that he and Nya discovered. It was a painful state that tore at his stomach, clawed at his brain. One that only a physical pain could quell. This was no mean feat, his body had been absorbing the daily battery he inflicted on himself. A by-product of his elemental powers, the more physical pain he sought out, the less he felt and all the while his mental anguish grew.

This pain was far worse.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 4 - The Past**

Where Cole remembers the events leading up to Nya and his disappearance.

Nya loves Jay, Cole loves cake and annoying Nya.


	4. The Past

He longed to go back, to that simpler time, where he could happily ignore his feelings for Nya. It had been easy, because Nya seemed genuinely uninterested in him and joyously happy in Jay’s company. Cole appreciated her in many ways, but never let him self think about it. That would have been weird; obsessing over your friend’s… your brothers’ girl. 

The day of the Vortex was a ‘beaut. One from which he remembered having his last happy moment in Ninjago. When he was part of a truly tight knit group, a family. Nya was there, she always was. Remembering helped him escape reality a little but accentuated the fact that he had caused a rift in the family. One minute, life was good, the relationships in the team finely balanced, then the vortex appeared and it all went to crap. But the crap that followed, he wouldn’t change for anything even though it was now the reason he wanted to die.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Dojo was quiet and still, save for the dust motes that slowly travelled through a shaft of light cutting through the gloom of the basement room. 

A Gentle ‘tink-clink’, sound came from the hallway outside the room. Cole pushed the door open and entered the room. His large hands held a small plate and a fork. All his attention was focused on the cake as he gently pushed the fork through the delicate sponge stopping on the plate below. ‘tink’. He manoeuvred the morsel of cake onto the fork and raised it to his mouth. He savoured the texture as he pressed his lips down on the fork as the frosting tried to hold the cake put. Cole lived for sensory moments like this. He particularly adored cake, but he could find joy in pretty much all food on a table.

As he walked through the Dojo, Cole waved the fork through the suspended particles to watch them dance and settled down onto a bench. He sat underneath the haphazardly suspended bamboo hangers and practice robes, their arms spread wide, waiting to welcome the novice and master alike. Cole was anything but a novice, but not yet a master. As the Black Ninja he channelled the power of the earth, which was turning out to be a surprising and increasingly complex element to understand let alone control. That’s why he needed the cake. It really did relax him. He put another forkful of cake in his mouth, tilted his head back against the wall, closed his eyes and released an appreciative sigh.

 **‘Are you eating cake again’?**

Cole was snapped out of his reverie. ‘Nya… Where did you come from?’ 

‘Stealth’ she whispered. 

Lost for words he could only quantify Nya’s consternation at his seeming gluttony with ‘But it’s cake…’ Like this should be enough of a reason in itself. Looking at Nya’s puzzled irreverence, he deduced this answer was obviously not satisfactory. ‘It’s chocolate fudge, with coconut frosting…’ 

Silence 

‘…and little marshmallows?’ He gave an uncertain smile, asking for understanding.

Bemused, Nya rolled her eyes and grimaced. She unfolded her arms and set to readying for the training session. She pulled her training robe down from a hanger, slipped out of her light summer shirt-dress and into the boxy garment. Cole gave her a cursory glance. In his eyes, she was as his brothers. There was no room for niceties in the intense dynamic of the Ninja team. Though it did unnerve him when she blithely changed in front of him, or any one else for that matter. Jay could barely hide his feelings and quite often had to be some-where else rather quickly. Which Cole found hilarious.

Nya couldn’t care less. She was as tough as they come and had earned her place in the team fair and square. Only after casting off the trappings of the Samurai X and its Tech based power, did she realize her elemental power. Master Wu saw it in her, even if she did not. It was not until she could prove it to herself that he opened her eyes to her full potential. 

Cole considered Nya, following her with his eyes. She had saved him on various occasions as the Samurai X. Now as the Water Ninja, she was one with the team, but apart. Perhaps her open show of nonchalance was a way of confirming her position, who knew? Cole wasn’t too concerned; he had an awesome slice of cake and now Nya, who was moving in slow graceful form in front of him. He watched her lithe hands cut through the light, the dust rolling in lazy circles around her. Slow through the start of each movement, building to an accelerated stop and tipping into the next. Cole had to admit, he could sit here happily for hours, calm and centred. 

Of course this was not to be. Taken aback by his contentment he opened his big old mouth and ruined it all.

 **‘Jeez COLE!’** Nya shot around and blasted at Cole, who had let rip the loudest burp imaginable.

‘Why did I do that?’ thought Cole. To Nya the look on Cole’s face showed pure belligerence, but was actually shocked confusion at himself.

Taken aback, Cole decided to roll with it. ‘Chill mermaid, I’m just warming up!’ He inflated his chest about to magic up a second. Nya found a punching mitt and threw it at his head. 

‘What the hell Cole, I was in the zone and don’t call me mermaid!’ She was at the door and heading out as she fired back ‘ **Dung Beetle!** ’ followed by an infuriated guttural growl. 

Cole sat with a surprised look on his face. He finished the last morsel of cake, recovering a mini-marshmallow that had fallen off before making it to his mouth. ‘She may be a water Ninja, but she’s got a whiff of Kai’s fire, that’s for sure’, he said to the empty Dojo. 

The silence reprimanded him 

‘Ah shoot’. He jumped up and jogged over to the window. He hung out of it just as Nya came out of the door to the main building. He called to her.

‘For you’ He held out his hand in a pious gesture and summoned a whole rose bush from a neighbouring buildings’ flowerbed. Nya slowed at the bottom step as the rose bush hovered in front of her, shedding loosened earth at her feet.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’ Nya mumbled. Then picked a small bloom, the petals just opening, from one of the branches. ‘Put it back you moron’ she shouted.

‘I’m Sorry!’ Cole shouted back his apology.

In a slow jog Nya moved toward the basement window. As she passed, she gave a theatrical bow down to Cole and flourished the Rose under her nose. ‘You are forgiven’ she said haughtily and jogged on.

Cole artlessly plopped the rose bush back in the neighbours’ flowerbed. ‘Yep’ he thought sarcastically, ‘that’s _exactly_ how brothers act’. He shook his head at his own idiocy and went back inside. 

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 5 - The Team**

The Team meet en-route to the Dojo.


	5. The Team

As Nya carried on down the road she saw her brother Kai with Zane heading towards the Dojo. A little further along Jay was rounding the corner. ‘Jay’. She felt lighter on her feet just for seeing him. She picked up her pace.

‘Where you off to sis?’ Kai asked. ‘We have practice’. She waved to them as she passed, and then slowed up for Jay. She tucked Coles’ rose into the hair band that was holding her sharp bob back in a non-existent ponytail and stopped. Their hands automatically found each other and she gave a nervous shuffle as she settled in front of him.

‘No training today?’ asked Jay all brightness and anticipation.

‘Ah, well no, I mean, yes there is. I’m going for a warm up jog. That crazy cup-cake Cole, was ruining my Zen.’

‘You want me to come with?’ said Jay.

'No, no. I'm happy. It's fine.' She swept the issue aside and leant into him, lingering, before a light kiss. 'You, Jay Walker, are very distracting also. I think I should carry on alone'. He pulled back until just their fingertips touched. They broke apart and she turned and carried on her way.

She looked back, a cursory glance just to tease him. She loved that she could wrap Jay up in anxious little knots. There’s nothing this girl liked more than seeing how she could manipulate a response by just being in the same space. In Jay she could feel the electricity when she walked in the room. She felt how easily she could arouse him and how embarrassed, shy or coy he could become. It made her day exciting and filled her with anticipation as to what might happen when. How could she not love it? Jay showered her with pure adulation.

She saw him linger, his hands in his floppy hair, looking suitably goofy. She loved him, she really did. ‘I’ll see _you_ later’ she thought to herself, thinking not at all about the training.

As Jay watched her lightly jog away, he drew in a breath and pushed his fingers through his hair. He stood there for a moment, hands locked on top of his head, hair scraped off his face. That little backwards glance… He exhaled and slapped himself on the cheek. ‘ Cold shower dude’ he chuckled and turned to catch up with his friends. 

He could see Zane and Kai further along the street. Kai leant against a lamppost, looking the epitome of cool. Jay knew from experience that something would be simmering behind his chilled countenance. Kai was incredibly wary of Jay and Nya’s relationship. He viewed it with suspicion and took the role of both intimidating big brother and overprotective father very seriously. 

‘Hey man, high five! Jay held up his palm to an unimpressed Kai. ‘Rockin’ that matronly, sourpuss persona, dude!’ 

Kai returned a very lacklustre high five and simply said ‘Watch it Walker’. He pushed his lean slim frame off the lamppost and the group started their slow amble on towards the Dojo. 

Whatever this _thing_ was that Nya and Jay had going, he didn’t like it. Yes he was hot headed and possibly over-protective, but it was something more he felt about the two of them. A distraction from the team? An incompatibility? Either could be a potential problem. He knew all about being on the wrong side of Nya and worried equally for Jay if Nya dumped him. He knew full well how people acted when they thought they were _in love_ and even worse, when they definitely knew that they weren’t. They may as well just throw the toaster in the bath and get it over with, because this was not going to end well. 

‘Hi guys’. Lloyd bounced up to them. ‘So, finally driven Nya away then Jay? I knew it couldn’t last’. 

Kai interjected ‘My thoughts exactly’ as Jay clipped Lloyd over the head.

Zane chimed in ‘I think your worries are unfounded Lloyd, they looked quite in love just before’

‘Whoa! Hold up Ram Rod, what’s with the L word?’ Kai blustered.

Jay blushed, giggled and coughed. ‘A heh heh, Hrumph’. Zane could read them all like a book and Jay’s pages were open and flapping in the wind for all to see.

‘So you would rather Jay was not in Love with Nya and just be using her for…’

‘HOLD THE PHONE! LA LA LA’ Lloyd slapped his hand over Zane’s mouth. ‘I don’t think that’s what Kai was saying Zane’.

Kai was looking at Jay through half closed eyes.

Jay felt a little like a prime steak about to go on the BBQ. ‘Heh heh’ he attempted a week laugh.

‘Oooh-kay’ said Lloyd, not so unsubtly sweeping the two along the path. ‘Lets pick this up in training, shall we? 

Kai looked eerily happy, a wicked smile on his face. ‘Great idea. Jay, you and me sparring first, Ok?’

Jay groaned and looked to the heavens ‘I don’t deserve this!’

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 6 - The Dojo**

Where the Team gather under Master Wu's tutelage, until external forces disrupt training.


	6. The Dojo

‘Who’s walked mud into the dojo? Master Wu asked.

‘All of them’ said Cole with a chuckle. He knew it was because of him that they had walked through the scattered earth from the rose bush on the sidewalk and steps. ‘Don’t worry guys, I’ve got it he said and went to grab a dustpan and brush’. 

Master Wu, settled into his explanation of the days training followed by a few choice parables to inspire them.

As master Wu talked, Kai leant over to Jay and whispered. ‘So I’ve got a few new moves you could help me with.’ Jay screwed up his face. ‘I’m practicing an awesome new flame, roll and kick and need a subject to help me get it juuust right. 

‘Kai. My man. You know I would love to, but my lightning can be a little erratic at times. I wouldn’t want it to blow your _foot_ off as it connects with my _head_ ’.

Kai chuckled. ‘Glad to see you’re up for a challenge Jay’.

Jay slumped his shoulders and whined. ‘Why?’

‘Jay?’ Enquired Master Wu. Is everything alright?

‘Uh, um…’.

Zane helpfully piped up. ‘Master Wu, Kai is needlessly harassing Jay because he doesn’t want him to be in love with Nya’.

‘What the?’ Kai exclaimed. ‘Zane, you suck up!’

Jay slapped his forehead, Cole Guffawed and spilt the dustpan contents onto the floor.

‘Pardon?’ Replied Zane, turning his head to Kai with a look of confusion.

Wu slowly bowed and shook his head. To the team, he looked exasperated, but was hiding his laughing eyes and smile behind his coolie hat and long white beard. He may be an old man, but he always found his Team to be vibrant and amusing. They kept him young as he attempted to teach them to grow up.

He took a breath and recomposed his Zen like persona. ‘Well, that’s good its out in the open now. Please begin. Cole, could you bring me some tea when you return from depositing that rose bush earth in the trash.’

Cole stopped momentarily, struck by how Wu could have known about the Rose Bush. ‘Yes Master Wu’. He replied as he scanned the room with his eyes, looking for hidden cams.

Master Wu settled onto a bench to observe the training.

When Cole returned, all four Ninja were engaged in an improvised skirmish. There were no villains or heroes. It was a big free for all, an exercise in quick thinking and even quicker footwork. As the Ninja spun, jumped, kicked and punched; they would use every trick in their collective knowledge of fighting manoeuvres to evade or make contact with each other. They had sensor pads on their chests, back, legs and arms and even one on their head shields. A good old-fashioned competition worked wonders for this group of over energetic teens. Their reactions were lightning fast and the sensors were working overtime. Sensei Wu never imagined any of his students would really manage to escape many blows as their minds were so focused on the attack and scoring points. None of them would see the subtle art of simple evasion. And anyway, who said the point of the game was to score points, not him? ‘Teenagers’ thought Wu. ‘Always asking for permission to make their own choices yet too eager to rush to the wrong ones’.

Wu’s contemplation was abruptly disturbed. The Ninja stopped mid fight. A tremor had hit the building.

‘Cole, was that you?’ Asked Lloyd.

‘Yeah Cole, we’re not supposed to be using our powers’. Continued Jay.

Wu spoke up for Cole, who stood with his hands on his hips, looking disbelievingly at his teammates. ‘I would say not, my young students. This tremor did not emanate from your teammate. It is from a force external to this building. Please remember what you have felt just now and in the future consider your response, before blaming another’.

‘Thank you, Master Wu’. Cole said with an unbelieving look on his face, directed at his two now sheepish looking teammates.

Zane had begun to scan the area for a sign of what the tremor might be. ‘I have picked up radio signals, reporting a disturbance in the Ninjago Bay area, more specifically the Moss Dunes.

‘What kind of disturbance’ asked Lloyd.

‘Unclear… Descriptions coming in. Swirling glass window, floating, a great wind.’

Wu interpreted Zane’s rudimentary description into thoughts of his own. ‘It sounds like a Realm Jump of some kind. They take different forms, but this is what it could be’.

‘We’ve gotta get down there!’ Lloyd was pulling off his training robes and reaching for his team Gi.

‘Yes’. Replied Zane. We must get down there now. A person has been dragged into it’.

‘Just one? Think how many it could take, hurry, we have to go now!’ Lloyd was frantic to get moving. His brothers’ hot on his heals they pulled on their Ninja Robes. With a little assistance from Spinjitsu it took a split second. Lloyd threw the window open in the Dojo and leapt up onto the sill. Using it as a mid level springboard he propelled himself upwards, catching hold of the ground level railings, which he swung his body over gracefully. His teammates followed and as they ran along the street, they each individually summoned their elemental dragons. Pulling up into the sky over Ninjago City, their Dragons were now a regular sight, but no less dramatic for it.

Zane continued to scan information on route to the Bay, but riding elemental dragons meant it took barely minutes before they arrived to see the phenomena for themselves. As they came in to land, the Portal presented itself to them. It was a glassy apparition, with a swirling face of liquid cloud. Their dragons dispersed in the howl of an otherworldly wind. Blowing along the ground, it whipped up the sand making it difficult to stand.

‘Anything else you can tell us Zane?’ Shouted Lloyd.

‘I’m picking up images’ He replied. ‘Camera footage is being released online but, that can’t be?’

‘What?’ Shouted Lloyd. The other Ninja started to look troubled. If Zane sounded unsure, you knew there was a real issue.

“Its Nya, he said. The Portal took Nya’.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 7 – The Assault**

Where The Ninja fight power with power and get nowhere fast.


	7. The Assault

Both Kai and Jay had rushed forward to the portal.

Kai used his elemental flames as boosters to raise him up in line with the Portals’ centre. A final burst propelled him forward, his legs out stretched, careening towards the whirling eye. Expecting to move through the Portal, his legs made contact, smashing into a solid layer between him and the maelstrom.

‘Gaagh’ Kai shouted, his legs buckling at the unexpected result of his assault. 

Zane rapidly created an ice chute to break Kai’s fall. Kai shot off the end and rolled to his feet, stable and ready to attack again. His eyes watering from the impact, he refused to surrender to the pain. His sister was gone, taken by this monstrous gateway.

The Realm Crystal. Shouted Zane. It’s stored in the vaults at Hiroshi Labyrinth Stronghold. It may be necessary to deal with the Portal.

‘You’re right’ said Lloyd. ‘Can Pixel to get over there in the Bounty?’

‘Pixel?’ Zane enquired into the ether.

‘I am here Zane’. Came the soft monotone reply in Zane’s sensors.

‘We need the Realm Crystal, as a matter of extreme urgency. How long will it take for you to retrieve it?

‘I am leaving for the Stronghold as we speak Zane, I will be 37 minutes.’

‘Thank you Pixel’ Zane replied and relayed the news to the Ninja. ‘I Fear The Realm Crystal will not be here any time soon’.

Jay let out a howl. ‘We have to do something’. We can’t just wait around for the Crystal.

Quite what they were supposed to do with the raging maelstrom escaped them. What _could_ they do but match power with power? Lloyd shouted through the howling wind.

‘Ok Ninja. There’s a glass surface covering the portal, perhaps we can shatter it. We’re going to give it what we’ve got. Zane, Ice it’.

Zane spun his Ice sheets into chiselled drills. They came from every direction, but shattered and disintegrated on impact. He tried shards and ice boulders, he froze the whole thing, but the vortex swirled and eddied under Zane’s translucent prison.

‘Kai, Light it up’.

Kai directed two powerful streams of flame into the heart of vortex. Would the extremes of ice and fire cause the face to shatter? The ice simply melted away and the team watched as the subsequent flames hit with fiery fingers radiating outwards in a spectacular orange starburst.

‘Jay, if you wouldn’t mind?’

Jay crackled, his body crawling with jumping blue particles. He balled up his fists, drawing the energy into focus to be released in spasmodic, jerking bolts. But it jumped and arced off of the Portal, making no impact at all.

They all looked at each other, this was turning out to be pretty useless.

Lloyd, looked aggrieved. ‘Right guys, let’s rip!’ He rose up, his green aura manifesting. He raised his delicate hands, wisp’s of a slow snaking energy forming. ‘DO IT’. He threw his life into the attack and his teammates answered his call.

With the fullest force they could afford from their elemental powers; Kai, Zane, Jay and Cole joined their young leader in the assault. The bombardment was pure chaos, raw power mixed with anger and desire. The combined elemental onslaught blackened the sky and sent plumes of steam and choking earth into the air. Lloyd gave a signal to stand down. They had not made a dent.

As the air cleared, the Vortex remained unmarked, taunting them. Cole let his frustration get the better of him as he threw an earth punch at the vortex releasing a frustrated shout. The Vortex receded, a swirling concave dome, absorbing the punch as if breathing in.

All ninja were silent. Lloyd nodded at Cole to continue. He followed up and threw a few fair size rocks at the Vortex. The swirling mass resisted under the impact and received the Black Ninja’s gift willingly, glassy mouths sucking in the rocks. Cole looked over to Lloyd.

Lloyd barked his command. ‘Focus on Cole. Get him through’. Cole was already there, astride an earthen charger ripped from the ground, he offered himself forward. The Vortex flexed and pulsed outward, a hungry inter dimensional rift ready to consume and he was gone. As was the Portal.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 8 – The Forgotten Realm**

Where we arrive with Cole in an unknown Realm to find Nya. It’s business as usual for the two feisty friends, until they realise they’re not going anywhere.

 


	8. The Forgotten Realm

A calm still heat was all Cole could feel. The ringing in his ears all he could hear. He hoped that would go, frankly he wouldn’t have been surprised if his eardrums had been damaged. As he knelt forward on his strong arms, he wasn’t entirely sure if the ground was rotating and he would fall off at any moment. He opened his eyes and lifted his head. A svelte silhouette approached him, the blinding light bleached out everything else. 

‘Nya?’

‘Took your sweet time!’

‘…What?’

‘Are you ok?’ Nya touched his shoulder, took his hand and pulled him up. ‘Is it just you? I haven’t seen anyone else come through’.

‘I… I think so yes. The others couldn’t seem to connect with it… the Portal. So it’s just… me.’ Cole looked very unstable, the assault on the Portal and subsequent jump having taken its toll. ‘Where are we?’

Nya took Coles hand and turned him away from the sun. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the wider landscape. This world that opened up before him, barren and arid, stretched to the horizon, with nothing but a vast canyon snaking before him. Like the sloughed skin of a monstrous river creature, dry and cracked; no hint remained of the twisting fury that must have formed it.

For the first time he looked back at Nya. He saw her; dishevelled hair, ripped training robes and scraped skin. ‘What happened to you?’

‘Some rocks flew through the vortex a while back.’ She motioned with her hand at what looked like a landslide on flat terrain. ‘Know anything about that?’ She said with a sarcastic tilt of the head.

‘Uh, sorry Nya. We weren’t too sure what to do. It wouldn’t take any of us until I started giving it an all you can eat buffet!’ A sly smile returned to his face. ‘Didn’t cause you any trouble did it?’

The look on Nya’s face gave a pretty clear answer. Her voice hid a thinly veiled irritation ‘No, no trouble’.

‘So, what is this place?’ Cole asked.

‘A Realm, I presume’. Replied Nya. But It seems dead, like something happened, a drought maybe?

‘Maybe, lets see’. Replied Cole. He closed his eyes and focussed. He had found that in his calmer moments he had begun to feel the vibrations of the earth. Like a human seismic monitor he could read the structure and malleability that existed below him. Wu and Misako had been helping him to develop his powers. It was reasonable to accept, that the earth, as volatile and powerful as it was, needed a focused and controlled master. Forms of meditation were alluded to, but Cole found visualisation worked best for him. In this instance a densely rich layer cake, with a myriad of different frosting and jelly fillings. He imagined cutting through the layers, exploring the textures and tasting the subtleties. ‘Oh yeaaah,’ he sighed ‘Meditate on that’. 

Nya had yet to experience Cole undertaking an earth reading. ‘Well this is new’ she said, looking at him askew as if the portal had found a goofy lookalike to replace Cole.

The cake helped him focus and imagine the strata below. As he read through the natural layers he then reconstructed his cake to build up a clear picture of what was happening below his feet. This earth was anything but varied. Dry and dead, it gave him no joy to explore. Only a very mere smattering of chocolate chips in a very dry and deflated sponge. Not even any real layers. Cole said. ‘It’s very odd. One dimensional like its been constructed’.

‘No signs of life either’ said Nya. I just don’t get it. Why would this dead place open up a portal and then be picky about who it brought…’ She stopped. ‘Umm…’

‘You’re not normally lost for words?’ Cole joked as he opened one eye to look at her.

‘It’s just… a thought. I could be mentally unbalanced through lack of food, so don’t judge me’.

‘Well you’re not normally undernourished back home, so it’s not for lack of food’ Cole quipped back as he moved into a pastiche of a meditative pose, balanced on one foot, the sole of his other foot resting on his inner thigh. He loved this playful banter he and Nya had. It was one thing he could enjoy about her without fear of being found out. Sometimes he just flat out annoyed her, but really he was overcompensating for his feelings and it gave him a sharp reminder to check himself. Hopefully his stupid pose would encourage her to push him over and they could muck about and he could feel a little closer to her.

Bingo!

 _Slam._ ‘Alright Mr Miyagi’. Nya had him on his back in a Kesa Gatame hold, her right arm wrapped around the back of his neck, her chest pushed against his while her legs worked as a stabilising brace to the floor.

‘I’ve reached Nirvana’. Said Cole as he succumbed to the tackle.

‘Urgh! You wish’ spat Nya as she jumped up as quickly as possible.

Cole rolled onto his side and raised himself up onto his elbow. ‘Come on Nya, I’m just mucking about’. He said coquettishly, flipping his generous fringe away from his dark eyes.

‘No rose bushes here to make up for it’. She replied sarcastically.

‘That is true’ Cole acknowledged. ‘I’ll just have to be nice to you then’ he said, standing up. He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to nowhere in particular. ‘So what’s this theory you have then?’

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 9 – The Theory**

Where Nya tries to work out why they are in The Forgotten Realm and Nya and Cole bond.

 


	9. The Theory

As they walked, Nya attempted to put her thoughts into words.

‘So here we are. Earth and Water on a dead Realm. The Portal was discriminatory. I definitely feel it was. It wanted us in particular, for our elemental powers.’

‘Really?’ Interjected Cole. ‘You don’t think it was just coincidence?’

‘No, no I don’t think so. When I was taken, there were so many people on the dunes. People walking dogs, flying kites, racing sand kayaks. So much stuff going on and so many people. But only I was pulled through. And you. You say that even with the Furious Five throwing themselves and all their powers at it, it only took you? Tell me again how it happened’?

‘Ok’ began Cole. So all five of us, Fire, Lightning, Ice, Earth and Kid Power, were in front of the Portal. We tried to approach it, but it was like the portals energy was pushing everyone away. It was obvious we weren’t going to get in easily, but there was no way we could see how. Zane had asked Pixel to get the Realm Crystal from the Stronghold, as this was probably the only thing that would make any difference.’

‘Yes the Realm Crystal. We could do with one of those now’.

‘We couldn’t just stand around doing nothing, waiting for the crystal to arrive so you know, we decided to throw everything at it and see what happened’.

‘Such a well thought out plan. I’m so glad it wasn’t an Alien species trying make contact!’

‘Sarcasm, sarcasm my lovely Nya, but aren’t you secretly glad I’m here?’

‘Exstatic.’

‘There you go again.’

‘Ok, Ok, what happened then’.

‘… So. Kai’s roasting it, Jay’s frazzling it and Zanes pummelling it with Ice shards and its kind of doing nothing. It looked like their elements deflected or rippled off of the vortex, but didn’t impact it or pass through it. I was throwing a few big rocks and pummelling it with earth punches. It was a pretty awesome sight, I’ve gotta say.’

‘Yes, I’m sure it was… and then…?’

‘Right, when it looks like were not making any difference, Lloyd calls Time. But then, just when the dust has settled I lose it… a bit… and throw an Earth Punch at it’

‘Temper, temper Cole’.

‘Shush, honestly Nya’. Cole span around in front of Nya and walked backwards to emphasise his vitally important part in the story. ‘We didn’t notice it before because the literal elemental crap was flying. Once the dust settled we could see the Portal react to my earth punch. It absorbed it. They didn’t rebound like the other elements. Small areas of the vortex were popping out and sucking in the rocks I threw.’

Nya was nodding. ‘Kind of like when I was shooting power jets at it.’

‘Oh great plan Nya, I’m so glad it wasn’t an alien blah, blah, blah…’

Nya punched him on the arm. ‘Who’s sarcastic now? You know, sarcasm is only the highest form of wit when I use it’.

‘I’m pretty sure that’s not the saying Nya’.

‘It is now. My Realm, my Rules.’

‘Oh ho! It’s your Realm is it? Queen Nya. Supreme Ruler. Omniversal Majestrix of the Dead World. Number of loyal subjects… One. Wow, nice place you’ve got here Your Majesty.’

‘Omniversal Majestrix. I like that, you may call me that.’

‘Well, all I can say is you better be nice to your one loyal subject as you may find yourself in need of a Royal Consort at some point…’

Cole was standing in front of her, head at an angle, eyebrows raised. He had a disarmingly wry smile on his face and Nya was suddenly stuck for words.

‘I want to say ‘In your dreams’, but feel too much time has passed’. Nya said as she sidled up to him to stand close enough for their robes to touch. ‘I do believe you’ve bested me Cole. Maybe we should start on that Royal Consort thing now?’ she suggested walking her fingers up to the collar of his robe.

‘Uh. Right. Ok. Ummm.’

‘Oh Cole, you big Lummox.’ She slapped her hand on his chest. ‘Come on where were we?’

‘I’m sorry, for some reason I’m feeling a bit distracted now.’ He wiggled his eyebrows at her, just for effect.

‘You know, with the story. The Big Hero moment… She accentuated her next words. The _climax_ , the _big ending_ …’ And they both fell about laughing, breaking the spell.

They eventually regained their composure.

‘Oh Cole, I am glad it was you who came through the Portal. Imagine if it was Sensei Wu?’ Nya grimaced. ‘Though he would probably have half a clue as to what to do’.

‘Do you want me to go back, so we can swap?’

Nya shook her head then changed it to a nod. ‘Yes please that would be great. Can you send him back with a hamper of goodies too please’.

‘Done’. Cole replied as he put his arm around Nya and she rested her head against his shoulder. Looking out to the great chasm, Cole felt a strange sense of privilege to be here with Nya. On any other day in any other Realm, he would never have been able to get this close.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 10 – The Reality**

Where Cole takes on board Nya’s theory and starts his own offering to the world.

 


	10. The Reality

The next day Nya woke to a series of tremors, pulsing through the ground.

‘What the…’ she sat up in alarm and looked around for Cole. 

They had slept amongst a group of large rocks. Cole had moved them together as there were no naturally occurring rocky outcrops. He had pummelled the ground to make a softer surface and they lay together for warmth and companionship. Nya remembered his words and hoped this was the explanation for the tremors. ‘Tomorrow I’ll look into the core, see what’s going on there. We might be able to dig down a bit to create a warm living environment’.

**‘BOOOOOM!’**  

‘What the hell was that?’ Nya ran out of the rocks. She could see Cole in the far distance and just about make out that he was waving at her. She began to jog towards him. ‘Can’t neglect my training’ she thought. 

**‘BOOOOOM!’**  

Another larger explosion rippled under her. She had to jump over the pulsing rings of earth that radiated out from Coles’ centre. 

**‘BOOOOOM!’**

At the next explosion, she made things a little more interesting. Somersaults, side spins, flying kicks and any move that seemed like it would propel her over the onslaught of mammoth vibrations. This was seriously fun. They should definitely do this when they get back. If they ever managed get back. 

Cole saw Nya, jogging towards him. He waved to try and say ‘stay where you are’, but she was on her way and he couldn’t really stop what he was doing now. He knew she would be ok and was pleasantly surprised to see her hotfooting it over his obstacles. 

‘Time for another one’. Cole thought. He stood straight and focussed. He channelled all his power down through his body and into the ground.

‘ **BOOOOOM!**

A forth pulse. On this one he saw Nya flip over and come down hard. He grimaced ‘that’s gonna’ hurt’ he thought. OK, I just need one more for now.

‘I hope you have a good explanation for this?’ Nya panted as she finally made it to him.

‘I sure do. You smashed those moves by the way. Climb on. He indicated that she should get on his back. After a slight hesitation she wrapped her legs around his waist and crossed her arms over his chest.

‘Well this is weird’. She said. Cole straightened up again. Focussed and released.

**‘BOOOOOM!’**

Nya rode the wave that coursed through Cole. He looked back at her face. Her mouth was a surprised ‘oh’ and her eyes wide. ‘What was that?’ She whispered to him.

‘My power, pure and simple’. He replied.

‘That was not what I expected’. Cole was smiling smugly at Nya. Their faces close ‘It’s nothing like its external form. It was… like a rush, a gravity drop’. She slid off him. ‘Can we do it again?’ She balled up her hands like an excited child.

‘Tomorrow’. That was my last one for now. Cole had knelt down and was reading the earth after his seismic defibrillations.

“So why were you doing this?’ Asked Nya.

‘I spent this morning reaching down, trying to read all the way to the Core. Its not as difficult here as in our Realm, the worlds make up being so… simple.’

‘And?’

‘And, I found a little bit of hope there. There is movement, of a sort. So I thought I’d try and give it a kick start.’

‘Huh.’ Nya responded. Cole was really surprising her with his new elemental skills. ‘Cole, Earth Mechanic’.

‘Shuddup..’ He gave her a shove.

‘Honestly Cole, this is pretty impressive. I knew about the rock throwing and power punches and all that, but this is all so… measured and thoughtful.’

‘Shocked are you?’ Replied Cole.

‘Well, maybe a little, I just never imagined this kind of thing being possible, that’s all. So, it seems you’ve already initiated our Theory, what this world requires of us. Do you think it’ll give us back after?’

‘I’ve no idea Nya. I hope so’.

‘Hmmm’. Nya sighed. She sat on the ground with her legs crossed, hands rested on her knees, straightened her back and relaxed her shoulders. Closing her eyes she turned her palms upwards, focussed and brought forth a light shower.

Cole sat down next to her and emulated her pose. Silently they sat in the rain, conversing with their elements. They had begun their offering.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 11 – The Realm Crystal**

Where the crew of the Bounty hear the unknown story of The Realm Crystal and start to lose hope for a rescue.


	11. The Realm Crystal

The Destiny’s Bounty II roared over the bay area, its rotational thruster’s bringing its hull down to hover in the space where the Portal had been. Pixal threw the rope ladder down to the remaining Ninja, who rapidly scaled the rungs to jump over the rails.

‘Is it here, do you have it?’ Kai asked before his feet touched the deck.

‘It is and I do’ Pixal replied. She motioned to a robust box, securely fastened with multiple metal straps, with individual locks on each surface.

‘Aaargh’ Jay leapt in ‘it’ll take forever to open’. Grappling with the locks, he was getting nowhere, but his panic over Nya’s disappearance was evident and controlled him completely.

Lloyd intervened. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him once, sharply making Jay look at him. ‘Stop, Jay. This is no help. The box will open, just not like that. Centre yourself, you will be more help to Nya if you can be calm.’ Jay pulled away and grabbed the rails of the Bounty, bent double, trying to contain his fear and frustration.

Kai came over to him and leant his head down next to Jays. ‘Lord knows, I’m freaking out Jay, but it’ll be ok. We will get her back. We just need to make a plan. Cole is with her and they’ll be safer together at least’.

Pixal and Zane had begun to unravel the complex security system encasing the box, a necessary requirement for a powerful object.

‘This Realm Crystal was created, as you know by the First Spinjitsu Master, my Father’. Sensei Wu had come from the control room. His voice stern and clear, ushering the crew to stop and listen. Zane and Pixal paused at their work. Jay and Kai rose from their pained reflection of the current situation. Lloyd moved to stand with them.

‘It was not however, the first’.

The sense of shock was palpable amongst the crew.

‘Another Crystal?’ Zane asked?

‘Yes and no, Zane. This Realm Crystal is useless to us, save your efforts Pixal.

The confusion on the Ninja’s faces was apparent, but none dared question further. What Master Wu had to say was of vital importance and all prayed it would lead them to a solution.

‘In the early years of my fathers enlightenment he created a Realm Crystal. Before he created Ninjago, he created a Realm.’

‘The First Spinjitsu Master, was once like you’. Wu gently indicated to his pupils, with a glide of his long fingers. ‘Young, hotheaded, excited, impatient. But unlike you, he had no Master. A pupil with no Master or guidance is a dangerous thing. A hotheaded and impatient pupil with a newly created Realm Crystal, even more so.’

‘He overstretched himself with the thought of the infinite possibilities that lay before him. He imagined a new realm to link the 16, a Gateway of communication across the worlds. An ambitious design, a self sufficient system, creating and nourishing a Caretaker and Gatekeeper.’

‘Suffice to say, he was not ready. My father was an elemental not a God.’

‘Not far off though’ Jay said incredulously.

Lloyd elbowed him in the ribs. He was in thrall to the tale. This was his descendent, his history and a part of his life. ‘Please Uncle, continue.’

‘The power of creation he held was spent wholly on building the structure of the world. As the Caretaker and Gatekeeper evolved, his destructive powers, which should have remained in balance, were stronger and sowed the seed of disaster. Where the entities should have been a guiding brace, to welcome all the realms, they became a danger to them. The world he created was not complex enough nor had the vital ingredients to sustain the powerful Caretaker and Gatekeeper.

The world began to die as the entities stripped it so they could live. They required sustenance and saw the Gateway as their route to richer and more fertile worlds, to keep them alive.

My father realised he had crossed a line and decided to cut his new realm off from all others. He destroyed the Realm Crystal and created a new one, with one less facet.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 12 – The Caretaker and The Gatekeeper**

Where Nya and Cole meet their abductors, which raises an important question.


	12. The Caretaker and The Gatekeeper

Nya and Cole were exhausted. Between meditating on their elemental powers, manipulating the earth and the water table, they would run. Following the Great Chasm to continue the pattern in a new area. They had been continuing this for days, a week maybe more. With only water to sustain them Nya had been worried. Luckily Cole had a few bars of chocolate and some biscuits in a pocket he'd had made for his scythe scabbard. What had been a snack for Cole had to be shared between them over the long arduous days. This was now gone and there was no sign of any further portals to release them.

'Maybe my theory was a load of crock after all.' Nya said.

'How so?' replied Cole.

'Well, come on, if this world had brought us here to replenish it, we're not going to get very far if we can't even replenish ourselves?'

'That is a good and very valid point Nya' he said.

'What are we going to do?' Nya turned into Cole's chest, holding back her frustration but releasing a sob instead. Cole wrapped his arms around her and they stood there with the thought of their uncertain future holding them together. Cole rested his chin on top of Nya's head and looked out at the wide vista. There had been some subtle changes in the earth and environment, some atmospheric, due to the amount of water Nya had been creating. As she watered the surface layers he created fissures to allow the water to flow to the lower layers. It had been difficult work for her at first as the air was practically devoid of moisture, but now the levels were rising she was able to create wondrous monsoon like storms. Even the great chasm had signs of moisture at the bottom of it.

He continued his contemplation watching the haze move in the distance until his eyes started to blur and jump. 'No'. He shot his head up in shock. Nya span around, in response.

From the glistening atmospheric disturbance two figures walked.

Nya grabbed Cole's hand and both assumed a strong stance. They did not know what they should be ready for.

The pair arrived before them, like a mirror image of each other, they moved as if they were one. Their long white robes covered their heads and flowed to the ground. Their faces obscured by a glass like mask.

'What do you need?' said one of the beings, or was it both? It was difficult to say, the voice seemed to reverberate through them equally.

'We need to go home' said Cole.

'We cannot allow that', they said.

'And why not?' Cole replied. He folded his arms, looking completely unimpressed with the otherworldly pair.

'We need you'… said one

'What do you need?' said the other.

'Answers… and a nice steak and fries wouldn't go amiss'.

'Club sandwich' Nya sneaked in.

The glass faceplate of the right hand figure started to swirl from a milky white to a vivid green. 'We cannot give you the answers you need but you require food. We will provide.'

'Who are you?' Asked Nya.

The being on the left, replied 'I am the Gatekeeper'.

The right added 'I am the Caretaker' and moved forward, its swirling green faceplate a miniature replica of the Portals' vortex. Cole and Nya both took a precautionary step into a strong back stance. A subtle scraping noise came from below their feet. The earth around them jumped with tiny explosions as small shoots burst through. Cole and Nya jumped back as a larger woody plant wound its accelerated growth up between where they stood. They stepped over and around the grass and plants in awe as a lush Oasis established itself on the edge of the Great Chasm.

'Thank you' the Caretaker said. 'Our world was on the verge of death, as were we. You have enabled this creation. Please eat of the fruit that grows here and rest. Stay' both beings gave a low bow. The Gatekeeper's faceplate swirled a dark silver and black and they evaporated.

Nya gave an excited scream. 'This is incredible!' she said falling back into the long grasses; pollen and seed heads bursting forth from the disturbance.

Cole swung off a strong branch of a mature apple tree and propelled himself up onto it and perched there to eat an apple. 'Uh, so good! Catch', he threw one down to Nya.

'I'm coming up'. She bit into the apple and held it in her mouth. The juice leaching out and running down her chin as she climbed up to Cole. Giggling she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and sat on a branch next to Coles and ate the delicious fruit.

'What an orchard!' Nya exclaimed. Apples, pears… what are those?

'Figs' said Cole… 'and olives'.

'Are those nuts?'

'No, this is nuts' exclaimed Cole, indicating the tree that surrounded them.

'It feels good doesn't it?' asked Nya.

'Hmmm' he replied, nodding.

'We enabled this. My theory was right after all'.

'You called it, alright'. Said Cole. 'Do you think that was an invitation or an order?'

'What?'

'When they said ' _stay_ ".

'Right now, I don't care. I'm just relieved we're not going to die!' They lapsed into silence _. Stay._ A simple word left to hang in the air, the real meaning behind it unclear. Food for thought.

 

** NEXT: CHAPTER 13 – The Mirage **

Nya and Cole's bubble bursts.


	13. The Mirage

Cole and Nya had their best sleep for days. Their stomachs' full, they nestled in the long grasses at the foot of the apple tree and slept sound and long.

Cole awoke first and pulled himself up to lean against the gnarly trunk of the apple tree. He felt bleary and heady. The fresh perfumes of the verdant paradise were a very welcome change from the dry dust of the drought and filled his senses. It wouldn't be long before they would both feel a lot better.

He looked down at Nya still sleeping peacefully. He took the opportunity to watch her. Not something he ever had the pleasure to do normally. Being here, just the two of them in a skewed form of paradise, she had become more important to him than he ever would have allowed back home. He moved to stroke her hair then stopped. 'What on earth am I doing?' He chided himself. Closing his eyes he leant his head back onto the tree trunk, the warm dappled light filtering through the leaves.

He felt a touch on his hand. Cole looked down to see that Nya had placed her fingers over his. Her eyes were open and she was looking up at him 'morning' she mouthed and closed her eyes again.

Cole smiled at her and replaced his head back on the tree trunk, closing his eyes again thinking 'Oh no. No, no, no. This is not good. Don't go down that road Cole, it won't be a happy journey. She doesn't want you like that. She loves Jay. The end, stop it now'. But all he could feel were her fingers lightly intertwined with his and all he wanted to do was lie down next to her. The rest he was trying desperately to block out, but his body was not letting him.

He shifted his weight and leant down to Nya. 'I'm going for a run' he whispered to her and gently slid his fingers away.

'm'kay', Nya mumbled sleepily.

As he stood up he could see down into the Great Chasm. Lush green vegetation had begun to grow from the bottom of the gorge thinning out midway to the top. A small river was just visible glinting in the light. The Caretaker had been busy.

It was the Gatekeeper he was more interested in. Each of the beings obviously had a specific role in this world. The Caretaker in charge of the growth and wellbeing of the realm and The Gatekeeper, with its swirling glass mask had to be the key to getting out of here. As reluctant as they seemed to answer questions, they would have to make them, or force them, if that was possible. He really didn't know what they were dealing with. They were after all, powerful beings, what could they hope to do to compel them to send them back?

As fantastical as this all was, he felt adrift without any sense of where their future was headed. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. His feelings towards Nya were becoming uncontrollable. Visualisation was not going to help in this instance, he found it far too easy to visualise all the wrong things. He needed to regain the status quo with their team and familiar surroundings before he lost his heart completely.

He slowed up, how long had he been running? The chasm was dry top to bottom, so the Caretakers influence had not stretched this far yet. He took a breather, turned around and started to run back. As he came closer to the forested area of the chasm, he slowed up. It looked different. The lush green had dwindled to a sick brown and the vegetation seemed to be withering back to the earth. What was this? He looked towards the Oasis and ran as fast as he could.

As he gained ground and the oasis came into view, he saw Nya running towards him. He felt panic, what was wrong? He could not reach her fast enough. Impulsively he brought his knuckles together; raising them above his head he swung them swiftly down past his sides. With a shout of rage the motion propelled him up in a great leap, covering a huge expanse to bring him closer. An earth punch slowed his descent as he landed and as he connected with the ground the impact created radial quake cracks and an explosion of dust.

Nya, fleeing from the Oasis had to pull up sharply from her flight as this powerful new Cole almost blew her off her feet.

Cole ran to her, without slowing they collided, Cole grabbed her arms, checking that she was OK. Nya looked up at his face. 'The oasis, it's rotting, disintegrating'.

As they looked back to the Oasis, they could see the trees and plants withering and slumping to the ground.

'What the hell is going on? Was all this for nothing?' Cole said as the oasis returned to the earth.

'That was almost our home!' said Nya, with a look of panic crossing her face. 'I thought, if nothing else we had some form of safety now'. She stood looking out at the re-established emptiness and felt her heart beating faster, her breath quickening and the weight of desperation wash over her. It was all too much, the ultimate end game was playing out inside her head and it was winning. Were they destined to live and die here? Her knees buckled.

Cole didn't see it coming and tried to leap forward to catch her. His fingers just skimming her arm he followed her down into the dust and wound himself around her.

They lay like this for some time. Nya was withdrawn, letting the nightmare scenario run through her head. Cole held her head to his chest, their legs entwined and her body held firm against his, he let her have her moment. But he wasn't letting go. He wouldn't let go, not ever. He would find a way back.

Slowly, Nya began to function again. She moved into him and put her arms around his waist. She raised her head up to look at him. 'Cole?' she said softly.

'Hmm?' he replied.

'Would you kiss me?'

The air escaped him. It was his heart that beat faster, his breath that quickened and he kissed her.

 

**NEXT: CHAPTER 14 – The Storm**

Where Nya wrestles with her feelings and one kiss is never enough.


	14. The Storm

'AAAAAAARGH!' Nya screamed into the abyss. Closely followed by ‘Crap, crap crap’ to which she stamped and jumped in time. ‘What the hell have I done?' she demanded of the Great Chasm.

She knew what she had done.

'I've just ripped Jays heart out and let it disintegrate with this effing world'… She kicked the dry earth and remembered the kiss.

'With Cole' she groaned.

'His best friend'

She put her face in her hands. 'I hate myself. I am a hateful, hateful person'…

'Hey, hold on… That rat kissed me back! What the hell was he doing? With his best friends girl?'

She liked this theory better.

She turned and started an angry run back to their camp.

Cole was in the middle of manipulating the earth, creating a deep hole with a winding path around the edge as an entry point.

'Hey, dung beetle!' Nya shouted down from the edge.

Cole stopped what he was doing. He had felt her determined run towards him and earlier in the far distance, very subtle vibrations. As there were no other distracting reverberations in the world, he felt these as a series of small, urgent jumps and stamps.

He turned and sat back against a boulder. 'Everything ok Nya?' He asked calmly as she descended the path.

'No, not really!' She replied sharply.

He raised his eyebrows as if to say 'well then spit it out'.

'You… You…’ Not quite having formulated her argument, Nya continued with 'How could you do this to Jay?'

'May I remind you that you asked me to kiss you?'

'Yeah, well, which means you wanted to and that's treason… to Jay'.

'What are you  _on_  Nya? Just the fact that you asked me to kiss you means you wanted me to kiss you.'

'I was having a nervous breakdown, I was delirious'.

'And I took advantage?' He asked softly.

She looked at him with her large, angry eyes, her lips a thin tight line. She so wanted to say 'yes' and make all of it his fault. Absolving her from doing anything wrong. He'd probably let her too. It was his way. Kind, strong, quiet, generous Cole. Whatever she felt, she couldn't blame this on him.

She broke the silent stalemate. Issuing a frustrated growl she turned on her heal, swiped her fists at the air and stomped up the winding path, a black storm cloud forming above her head.

Cole watched her go, wearing a supressed smile on his face. Nya really was very funny when she was angry… Then he remembered Jay and power-punched a large rock to dust, folded his arms and meditated on this through furrowed brows.

While Nya was now out of sight, her storm cloud was not. It had been growing and spreading across the sky. It was eerily low and looked as if you could reach up and touch it. This was new; he had never seen Nya create a cloud like this. He walked forward off of the boulder and looked up into the cloud in wonder. His skin started to tingle and strands of his long thick hair lightly defied gravity.

'Uh oh' he thought as he dived for cover, flattening himself to the ground and as close to the boulder as he could get.

A pulse of light flashed through the cloud, followed almost immediately by a deafening crack of thunder that rolled and echoed around the excavation. Cole threw his hands over his ears and watched as the cloud dissipated.

Nya felt immediately better after the fury of the cloud had been released. She sat and peaked over the edge of the pit. She watched Cole stand up and dust himself down. 'Kind, strong, quiet, generous Cole' she thought. 'He is all that' she confirmed. He doesn't take any of my crap either, just kind of absorbs it. What the hell is going on? Ugh... He's unbearable. So annoying… So, so annoying… and hot. Dammit! She flopped down on her back and looked up at the sky. 'He's so very, very hot and actually not at all annoying, well not since we’ve been here together'. She sighed. This train of thought was making her aware of herself, lying alone.

She needed to cool off. 'Rain please' she demanded. It rained, a soft sensual shower emulating her emotions. As she lay on the ground the rain felt like a soft cruel torture, her wet clothes clinging to her body. 'Oh this is not helping' she thought to herself and jumped up.

She closed her eyes and reached out, feeling the rain falling. She searched from her ledge, the drops hitting and showing her the form of the land. She pushed her mind further feeling the flat percussive strike of the rain, winding down the curved path into the base of the pit, hitting flat dirt, small and large boulders… then a soft, forgiving form. She had found him.

Standing in her rain, he was exhausted and wet, really-really wet. The water ran over his head. Hung forward his hair created a waterfall over his face, his breath turning to steam in the cold air as it escaped his mouth.

He looked up. Nya was standing at the edge, arms stretched wide, her head thrown back in a look of pure surrender. The water falling in long broken drops, strong and heavy. She manipulated her hands and played with the direction of the downfall. The light arced and refracted through the water, creating a myriad of rainbows finding a beautiful moment to exist before fading to be reborn again.

He breathed in sharply feeling something new… 'She's… caressing me'.

He could feel the water move around him, a gentle embrace around his shoulders, gliding down to his chest and torso, down his spine, lower back and over his hips. The fluid motion continued around his arms and down into his palms. He clenched his fingers, the sensitive skin tingling from the sensation. He knelt to the ground and placed his knuckles to the soil. He uncurled his fingers and extended them into the wet earth releasing a subtle pulse that would reverberate through the earth and ricochet off the rubble walls of the pit and up to her. He knelt there, his fingers still connected to the earth and waited.

He saw her gasp and open her eyes. Her intake of breath scattered her flow, her back arched. The rain rose up and dropped again in response to the ripples that moved up and through her. She dropped her arms and looked down to him. She shook her head slowly and waggled her finger at him, but could not hide the wide smile that had grown on her beautiful face and laughed, a long uncontrollable laugh. She slapped her thighs and fell to her hands and knees in the sodden ground.

It was impossible not to laugh with her. He had never felt anything quite like this. At this moment she had reached out to him and touched him with her elemental power. He liked it, he wanted it and returned it. He had never touched anyone like this before. It felt mysterious and exciting.

It was all he could do to climb the path to be with her. It had been turned into a mudslide and his legs had turned to jelly so were not much use to him. As he unceremoniously scrabbled over the ledge he plopped, soggy and pathetic next to her. She was in hysterics at the absurdity of it all. She must think him to be a complete idiot. But he really didn't care, he was laughing too much.

Nya sat down next to him and leant on one hand. She looked at him, her laughter subsiding. She reached up and pushed his wet black hair from his eyes.

Coles mind raced. What was happening? Was this happening? This is Nya. Nya and me! His heart was beating hard. He could only have ever dreamed of this, but never allowed himself. He was frozen.

Nya searched his face with hers. She took his hand, turned it over and raised his palm to her lips. She kissed it.

'…I, I…' Cole couldn't find any words. But he didn't need to. Nya shifted her weight and glided her leg over his lap. She knelt, astride him. She ran her fingers around the collar of his robe, following it up to caress his neck. He leant into her touch and moved a shaking hand to her lower back to pull her closer. He closed his eyes and felt her subtly move on top of him. He couldn't stop himself. He wrapped his arms around her and raised his face to hers. She folded into him and their lips met, urgent and forceful.

All he wanted to do was take this further, move his hands over her. Open her robes, touch her skin, feel her closeness… It was too much, intoxicating.

He had to stop. Stop. How could he stop a landslide, a tidal wave? He could. He could do that. If they were careening towards his friend he could do it. He had to do it.

Her hands had slipped under his robes and were pushing it down over his shoulders. He grabbed her wrists. 'Nya'. He spoke softly, though his hands held firm.

'I want you Nya. I've always wanted you'. The honesty felt good. He had dared to tell her the secret he had kept all these years. 'But…' He faltered. 'Jay' was all he could say. He released her wrists.

She sat back off his lap and onto the earth. He could still feel her. He just had to extend his mind to the earth in front of him. He would always feel her. She moved her hands to her face and her shoulders began to shake.

'I… I don't think I love Jay'. She said quietly. 'Not like this. I love you Cole'. They sat in silence. Nya hid her face.

'This world knew what it was doing, didn't it?' Offered Cole. 'It knew we were the only ones that would be able to sustain it. I thought that maybe those… _Guardians_ were able to manipulate us. Make us feel this way, to keep us here. Make us work and poor our hearts into the world and into each other'.

'No'. Said Nya. 'No, I don't believe that and don't you believe it either. This is you and me, no one else. We are meant to be together, our elements are compatible in ways I could never have imagined. I feel your whole being when I'm with you. Everything else has gone. I hardly remember my feelings for Jay. He seems so distant and innocent. He's lovely and sweet and funny but… He's not all of… you.' She motioned with her arms towards him. 'Aaargh, I can't get the words out. I need you Cole. Please don't say it's make believe or I'm being controlled, please'.

He managed to give her a small smile. 'I love you Nya, I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I am going to continue loving you for all time. I feel you around me, your steps, your breath, you're heartbeat. I feel it all. You are inside me now, a part of me. I'm not letting you go'.

She let his words wash over her feeling pure relief and joy. They had admitted to each other what they both wanted and needed and would never be apart again. She threw her arms around him, wrapped her legs around his waist and hung there. Her face nuzzled into his neck as his strong arms held her close.

The earth below began to tremble as life coursed through it again.

 

**NEXT: Chapter 15 - The Revolt**

Cole and Nya play their hand.

 


	15. The Revolt

Cole awoke tired, after a sleep of the newly in love. Sleep had passed them by for most of the night. Surrounded once again by beautiful flora and fauna, they ate and rested together. Talking, holding hands, kissing. They ignored the casualty that would be Jay, as it was easier to do than address it, there was nothing to be done right now. They accepted it, as he would have to also and eventually found sleep in each other's arms.

Cole leant over Nya and kissed her. She opened one eye. Closed it again and pulled him down to kiss him some more, a long sensual kiss. He slipped down next to her, her warmth too enticing to leave. She nestled a knee between his legs and they wrapped themselves into each other as if it were possible to get even closer. They looked into each other’s eyes, full of hope and enticement. They had not consummated their relationship, having decided to wait until they could make things right with Jay, which as traumatic as that would be, would done together.

How much self-control they could stand would be the test, especially if it looked like they weren’t getting out of here. There was a small voice in his head, worrying that an element of control was at play. The Guardians of the realm were powerful and he had no idea what they were capable of. Was it possible they could be manipulating her? He knew his attraction was real, it had existed before they arrived. Perhaps Nya may have a change of heart back home? For that reason more than any other he had to control himself.

She rolled so Cole was above her. Nya’s hand was under his robe, caressing his back. She lightly pulled her nails down…

He rolled his eyes the sensation too enticing, 'Uhhhhn'. He gave her a strong last kiss, and jumped off her!

'Hey, come back' Nya protested as she tried to grab him.

'No way' Cole replied out of reach. 'You are very… You are making me very…' He held his hands up to his head and motioned a silent explosion 'boom'!

She laughed. He loved her laugh. He waved and turned to leave the cave. At the mouth he stopped and flattened himself to the wall of the opening.

'What is it?' said Nya, standing and moving towards him.

Cole moved back into the shadow. 'They're here, up on the ledge'. The Caretaker and Gatekeeper were gliding along the edge in their ethereal white shrouds. Their faceless glass masks looking into the pit. Cole noticed the foliage was again dying at the precipice and slowly reaching its brown tint over the lip but stopped and continued no further.

'We should go out' said Nya. 'No point in hiding in here' She marched straight out before Cole could say any different, so he followed.

'Good morning up there!' Nya called to the two mysterious figures.

They stopped and slowly turned to look down at them.

'They are so creepy' whispered Nya. 'We should have checked out the neighbours before we moved in huh?' Cole rolled his lips together to stop a laugh from escaping.

'You are fearless and I love you' he whispered back.

Nya bumped him with her shoulder 'right back at'cha'.

The Caretaker and Gatekeeper launched themselves off of the side of the pit and floated down. Their robes resisted the air and billowing up into the descent, revealed… nothing.

'There's nothing there' said Cole in shock 'they don't have any form!' His mind raced, then turned to Nya and whispered 'We have to get the Gatekeepers mask'.

As the entities came in to land, their robes fell down re-forming back to the soft human shapes that hung below the swirling glass fascias.

'Why are the plants dyeing?' Cole asked the entities.

The pair hung there, silent. Below them the decay began again, radiating out from the base of their robes.

Cole and Nya stepped back to avoid the spread, but it stopped as abruptly as it started.

'Is it them doing this?' whispered Nya to Cole. 'They created it, why would they destroy it?'

'Why would they destroy it?' Cole slowly thought aloud 'perhaps they aren't?'

'What do you mean?' asked Nya.

'Could they be consuming it?'

'That's why they were dying’ Nya realised. ‘They had consumed all the world had to give. It's not that they need us just to help replenish the world. They need us to keep them alive'.

'They'll never let us go, or they'll die'. Cole realised. 'If we stop our offering, the Caretaker can't create and we die, simple as that. They've got us trapped'. He took Nya's hand. 'We're getting out of here. Ready for a fight?'

'Always' Nya replied lovingly.

The Caretaker and Gatekeeper continued their silent gaze towards Cole and Nya. The quiet of the world was only broken by the creeping sound of the contracting life.

'Send us back' Cole demanded.

'I don't think so' their voice resonated at them.

'Well I do!' Cole answered. A gravity-defying explosion rocketed from the earth below the beings. Though powerful, it seemed to have no effect on them. The robes reacted, blown upwards with the roaring debris and floated back down into the same quiet form, the masks set still, directing their swirling stare towards them.

The Caretaker's faceplate went from milky white to green and new growth, shot up. Vines burst from the earth below their feet. The sinuous growth rapidly snaked up their legs and caught hold of their wrists. Breaking loose Cole ripped Nya free from the tendrils. 'We need to get them away from here, to a dry area they can't manipulate'. He grabbed Nya and Earth punched them to the top of the pit where they ran to get as far as possible from the fertile soil. As Cole looked back he saw the two Guardians rise up from the mouth of the pit. The vines continued to grow, bursting through the ground in front of them. As they ran over and past them, their languorous fingers stretched to grab hold of them, catching and pulling them down. Cole continued to rip Nya and himself free and sporadically shattered the earth in a hope of halting the spread, but it did little. They kept moving and falling and ripping and running until as Cole had hoped, the further they got from the pit, the less vines began to grow.

Just as they thought they were reaching a point of safety, the ground before them split apart and a great shard rose up, a sheer plate teetering on its rim above them. 'RUN' Cole shouted to Nya as the plane toppled towards them. He held his ground and punched forward shattering it as it came down on top of him.

As Nya ran clear a large splinter fell towards her. Diversionary water jets slowed its hurtling progress, but it clipped her. She was spun off her feet, managing to save the tumble by diverting the motion into a shoulder roll and jumped back up onto her feet. Her arm was badly cut and her head bleeding, she staggered trying to shake off dizziness.

'NYA!' Cole shouted and ran towards her. In his distraction the Caretaker created a fault line that snaked towards him. Cole was unaware of the gnawing jaws closing the distance ready to snatch him into the earth.

'COLE, MOVE IT' Nya screamed. Looking back he saw the crevice splitting behind him. He stopped and turned into the threat; just in time to shatter the earth between him and the fault halting it's snaking progress. He ran to Nya who had closed the gap between them. Grabbing her, he propelled them forward towards the two Guardians.

They landed on the Gatekeeper. Rolling amongst the white robes, Nya broke loose. 'Keep the caretaker busy' Cole shouted to Nya.

Nya shot forward to where the caretaker floated. Looking at the faceless Milky apparition she felt her anger rising. An atmospheric pressure descended onto them and great black clouds began to form in the air above the Caretakers head. Like a faceless ghost, the Caretaker hovered looking towards Nya. An eerie stand off. The Caretaker rushed her, its robes snaking forward towards her. This she was not expecting. The robe grabbed forward and clasped her wrist. She let it take hold, wrapped it around her arm and grasped it with her hand. She yanked it back converting the motion into an aerial cartwheel and whipped the robe under and through her and flung it away, unravelling her wrist. She triggered the power within the expansive cloud and fell to the ground covering her head. Light burst and flashed, a blinding stroke of elemental furry broke forth and hit the ground where the Caretaker had been flung.

As she raised her head to look through the dust, a wisp of white floated aflame, eddying in the charged air. Was it gone? Destroyed? The faceplate was it here? She spun around checking the ground. Where was it? It couldn't have been that easy? Without its robe the Caretaker had no manipulative form so she ran over the scorched earth to Cole who had freed himself from the tangle of white robes and was trying to somehow subdue the Gatekeeper.

The robe whipped in a wild and uncontrollable spasm. Cole’s fingers slid through the fabric, as he tried to overwhelm the volatile cloth. The faceplate was the only physical embodiment of the being and he punched his fist towards it. The robes whipped up and round, trying to grab at his arms and pull him back. His hand clasped on to the curved surface and his fingers lipped around the edge, he ripped it from the hood. As it came loose, the robe dropped lifeless to the ground. There was nothing behind it. Nothing held it in place. 'The plate itself is the Gatekeeper' he realised.

Nya! Cole shouted. 'Get over here now'.

As Nya caught him up, the faceplate started to vibrate in his hands. 'Nya, grab hold of me, get on my back and don't let go.

'What are you doing?' Nya asked frantically, looking at the faceplate, seeing the energy coursing through it and the dark swirl of the Vortex.

'This is our way home, I'm sure of it'.

Only Cole would be able to hold it under control, but for how much longer? She threw herself on his back and held on.

Cole raised the swirling glass plate. As much as it fought and pulled against him, Cole forced it to his face. It snapped to him and he threw his arms free and his head back as power surged through him.

Nya closed her eyes. 'I love you Cole' she whispered. She found herself sliding down unable to keep a strong hold as the vibrations increased. She grappled her arms and fingers over his shoulders, ripping his clothes and scratching his skin. She gritted her teeth and waited for the unknown.

 

**NEXT: Chapter 16 - The beginning of the end**

Where we return to Ninjago and the Team, awaiting their friends return.

 


	16. The Beginning of the End

His head erupted. The vibrations of the Gatekeeper resonated through his temples, sinuses and teeth. Cole’s instinct to wear the mask him self may have been wrong after all. He was alone in a hell of his own making. His only goal was to make this  _thing_  trigger a portal that would send them home.

Through the searing pain he managed to open his eyes. Far from being enclosed and suffocative, behind the mask he found a space as wide as he could imagine. He was aware of his body jerking and seizing, his face rattling against the solid interior of the faceplate, but his eyes showed him a different view. The calm of the void. 

He felt like two beings, experiencing different realities simultaneously. He would have preferred it if one wasn’t so intensely painful. The swirl from the Vortex was around him, the only source of light in the dark. He floated his gaze around to view the immense scale of the churning whirlpool. From the vortex, pinpricks of light travelled towards him. Growing closer they revealed images through what were glassy spheres. There were hundreds of them, showing different images of people and places. They were unrecognisable. Beings he had never encountered before, worlds vastly different from his own. He felt tears streaming down his face as his body reached the limits of his endurance. Where was his world? Anywhere on his world would do. If it came to it, any _other_  world would be better than this.

He focussed on the orbs. He willed them to be Ninjago. 

Somewhere else, he was screaming.

He tried to move his view to the outer reaches of the glassy constellation. It must be there, it must.

As he approached a small cluster of spheres, they rotated to reveal a glimpse of home. The strength of his relief released his mind from the physical pain and a great pull sucked him forward. He blacked out.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zane’s cool glowing eyes stared out into the crisp dark night. Behind them every scanning function, radar, night vision and seismic monitor he possessed was working at full capacity. He was stood at the helm of the Bounty, where he had been for almost a month, ready to blow every circuit trying to find some trace that would indicate the whereabouts of his lost friends.

The Bounty had stayed in the locality after the Vortex had disappeared and was moored off shore, in sight of the bay.

Kai was beside Zane. He sat with him every so often, to give him support and to let him know he appreciated the effort he was making. Whether Zane knew he was there or not, he couldn’t tell. Kai placed a hand on the Nindroid’s shoulder. It was icy cold. Not that the cold bothered his friend, he still wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

Jay came from the control room and walked over to Kai ‘h hey man. It’s freezing tonight. Come inside won’t’cha, there’s soup?’

Kai looked up. Jay could see from his friends face how low he was feeling. The loss of his sister, from whom he was inseparable, had started to hit him harder as the days of her absence grew longer.

‘It’s ok, Jay’ Kai replied ‘I think I’ll just stay here for a bit y’know, to keep Zane company?’

Jay nodded. ‘Ok’ he said ‘I’ll bring you some soup out, and a coat’. Kai gave him a withering look and emphasised a warm orange glow around him for effect. ‘Oh, uh, heh heh. No need for a coat then, just the soup’ and he moved to go back into the warmth.

Kai, shook his head and reproached himself. ‘Jay’ he called back to his friend. ‘Thanks’.

Jay raised his hand and gave a small gesture, to say ‘don’t worry about it, it’s nothing’. But really it was. As selfish and needy as Jay could be, he knew that whatever he was feeling about Nya’s disappearance was nothing to what Kai was experiencing. Kai and Nya were the only family each other had after all and Kai was Nya’s self-styled protector. If Kai was watching out for Zane, he would watch out for Kai.

In the kitchen, Jay was greeted with hopeful looks from Lloyd, Misako and Wu. ‘He’s not ready to come in yet’ Jay let them know. ‘I thought I’d take some soup out to him though’ and he reached to take a mug from a hook.

Lloyd came up to the island. ‘Jay. I… I know this hard for you. You’re holding up really well. It’s just. If you want to talk about it. I’m here for you, ok?

Jay gave him a smile and a nod. He wouldn’t be talking to Lloyd about it. He wouldn’t be talking to anyone about it. Normally he would let everyone and anyone know his thoughts, frustrations and petty grievances as loudly as he felt necessary, even if they didn’t want to hear it. But he couldn’t now, because this really mattered. Nothing could be done about it. There was no solution, so no point. He started to ladle some of Misako’s soup into the mug, when Kai came in.

‘Don’t worry about the soup Jay’ he said ‘I’m just going to turn in’.

A rumble resounded around them. A distant tremor from the shore. Jay dropped both the ladle and mug in the soup and ran for the deck with Kai. Lloyd, Wu and Misako followed. As Kai threw the control room door open, he saw that Zane was gone. In the distance the glow of his elemental dragon was halfway to the bay.

Kai, Jay and Lloyd rushed the barrier and were over it leaping forward in to the dark night, their dragons materialising below them.

Zane could see the spectral glow of the Vortex ahead. A rush of wind rolled over him and dispersed as the Vortex disappeared once more. He circled the dark dunes, soft glows peeking through the tufts of moss. His heat sensors scanned the area, picking up two figures in what looked like an embrace. He descended and jumped clear from his dragon that evaporated on release. Cole stood holding Nya, limp in his arms, his head bowed over hers. As Zane approached he observed a different countenance in Cole. An intensity of a sort he had not seen before.

Kai, Jay and Lloyd descended on them, Kai taking no time to run to Cole and carefully take Nya from his arms. Calling forth his dragon once more he raced her back to the Bounty.

In the darkness, Jay looked at Cole. Apart from the cuts and marks of his ordeal, he too saw something different. Coles face set in a stony un-readable expression, stopped him from approaching. Before Jay could utter a word, Cole conjured his dragon and flew after Kai.

 

**NEXT: Chapter 17 – The awakening**

 


	17. The Awakening

Kai looked down into the courtyard. ‘What the hell?’ he said as he viewed the cloud of dust with Cole at it’s centre. He stood up and flung the window open just as Jay released a powerful burst of electrical energy into the ground. ‘What is going on?’ he thought and ran out of his room heading for the courtyard. He practically flattened Lloyd to the wall as he passed him in the corridor and shouted back at him ‘FIGHT’.

‘..What?’ Lloyd followed, confused.

They burst out into the courtyard as they saw Jay leaving through the main gates. Cole was sat with his arms on his knees, looking down into the dust.

‘Cole’ said Kai. ‘What the hell was that?’ Cole gave Kai a cursory glance up and shrugged. ‘What is wrong with you?’ continued Kai. ‘You have been on the wrong side of darkness since you returned. I know that place was whack, but you’re home now buddy, you’ve got to forget about it’.

‘I can’t’ he replied and spat some blood onto the dust.

‘Wow, that must have been some punch’ Lloyd chimed in. ‘What did you do to piss Blue Jay off?’

‘Took his girl’.

That sucker punched Kai and Lloyd, rendering them mute.

The blow came out of nowhere. The second for the day. As Cole peeled himself off the ground, he looked back at Kai, being restrained by Lloyd as best he could. ‘Guess I deserved that too’ he said.

Kai was apoplectic. Fire raged within him, his eyes were red and his teeth were bared. ‘You are not worthy of her’ he spat. ‘What kind of friend are you?’

‘Face it Kai’ Cole interjected ‘in yours eyes, nobody’s good enough for Nya. Last time I looked even poor old Jay was under scrutiny. Figure I might just be able to take the fallout and stand a chance.’ He stood and squared up to Kai.

Lloyd was frozen, not entirely sure how to deal with this turn of events. Was he going to have to pull apart a fight between these two powerhouses? He didn’t like his chances if he did. ‘Uh, guys, lets just keep it calm ok?’ He attempted to mediate. Kai’s hands had begun to flame and both stepped back, sinking into their knees ready for first strike.

Cole had no need to strike, his blocks could break an opponents arm. He hoped this wouldn’t happen, but it wasn’t his way to walk away from a fight. Especially when it wasn’t justified. Kai always overreacted, like Nya wasn’t allowed her own free will. It was for her to say how this would play out not Kai.

Lloyd jumped between them, looking for all intents like a scared, but brave rabbit. ‘No powers guys, Break it up NOW!’

‘What is going on here?’ came a shout from Sensei Wu. ‘This is NOT behaviour fit for my students’. The three jumped to a form of attention, scrappy and dishevelled. Wu walked in front of them. ‘Cole, you are needed inside. Kai I will talk with you alone. Lloyd please make Kai and myself some tea, chamomile I think and please send Zane to find Jay’.

‘Yes Sensei’ they all uttered together.

Misako was waiting for Cole by the door and motioned for him to come inside. ‘It’s ok Misako. I’ll just go to my room. I really don’t want to talk about it’.

‘No’, came her strong answer. ‘You will come with me’. She turned and Cole could really only follow. 

‘Misako, I really don’t feel like doing anything right now. Nothing will take my mind off of… what my mind is on. If its chores, really, I’ll do it later’ he pleaded.

Misako turned to look at him. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and gave him a soft smile. ‘Cole, please’ a request for quiet. She had stopped at the corridor leading to the bedrooms. ‘Nya is awake’.

A relief washed over him. Misako could see in his face, the lifting of pain, sorrow and anguish. She would remember that look for her entire life. It was all she needed to see to tell her that what he felt for Nya was real. And Nya? ‘She asked to see you before everyone. Even Kai.’

The release he felt was overwhelming. But he had to be sure. He couldn’t rest just yet. He composed himself. Smiled a crooked grin at Misako and proceeded to walk the length of the corridor to Nya’s room. He knocked and opened the door.

Cole stood in the doorway. ‘Nya?’

‘Cole’… was all she said. But her face said so much more. She raised her arms to him and he rushed forward to hold her. The drips and monitors, cumbersome and restricting, held them apart a little but she was laughing her beautiful laugh and Cole found he was smiling for the first time since they had returned. He held her face gently and kissed her.

‘Welcome back’ he said.

 

**NEXT: Epilogue**


	18. Epilogue

The days after Nya awoke were tense. A rift coursed through the team. Jay was heartbroken, his fragile sensibilities shattered by his once girlfriend Nya and his best friend Cole. All the time she was gone he had dreamt of her face, imagined the feel of her skin and the touch of her lips. The hope of these intimate moments had gone forever from reality but still existed in his heart and mind. It was killing him and he couldn’t seem to regain any type of normality day to day.

Zane had found him out on the escarpment, looking into the endless sky, unable to hold back tears. He took him onto the bounty and kept him busy with a multitude of technical tasks that had been piling up. Jay relished the work. It distracted his mind from the destructive cycle of thoughts that raced around his head. He would stop to break with Zane and for meals, but he would ask Zane to bring him something back from the kitchen rather than go himself. He had laid his hat on the Bounty and had no intention of re-joining the Team.

‘Jay’. Nya had walked into the control room of the Bounty. She stood by the door and waited. Jay had momentarily stopped his tinkering but then continued once again and ignored her.

She walked over and sat on a stool opposite him at the bench. He had not visited her after she awoke and she thought it was time to settle things with him. She still had her arm in a sling from a fracture as well as a patch on her forehead where a nasty cut was healing. These were just the visible signs of her ordeal. The further fractures to her ribs and collarbone came from the return jump. While she and Cole were both beaten up, the team itself was in a sorry state and if she could help Jay move forward then she would try her best to help him.

He carried on looking intently at the complex machine part through a magnifying glass attached to his head. ‘What is it Nya?’

‘Jay, would you look at me?’… ‘Please?’

He begrudgingly put the part on the surface and looked up. The light on his headpiece blinded Nya as he looked at her. She winced and shielded her eyes, so he grudgingly switched it off.

‘Jay, I am responsible for what has happened’.

‘And what has happened?’ Jay retorted belligerently, his fingers finding his machine part again.

‘Me and Cole. That’s what’s happened’. May as well be straight, Nya thought.

‘Nya and Cole, Nya and Jay… Maybe Nya and Lloyd next. He’s a catch. Or what about Zane? That could be interesting!’ Jay rambled, an idea that was absurd but could be a reality if Nya was so inclined.

‘Well you obviously don’t hold your friends morals particularly highly if you think that, or mine for that matter’. She countered.

‘Well, no, Nya I don’t. You and Cole have both proven that your morals are pretty basic, wouldn’t you say? And, you know, maybe you need to work your way through the team to find out which is the best.’

‘I am sure you realise it’s not like that, Jay’.

‘So what is it like, Nya. Is this going to help me? Hearing how its soooo different and good and real with Cole?’

‘No. But I am going to tell you how good and real and lovely it was with you’.

‘W… what?’

‘Jay. You are beautiful, kind, scatty and so full of life. You intrigued me because you reacted to me. Whenever I saw you, you made me feel wanted and desired. It was a beautiful pure feeling. I’ve never had that before. Ever. And I mean that. I never had random boyfriends, not with Kai as my big brother. You were, sweet and safe and I think I could manipulate you a little bit, well a lot. Which was wrong and I didn’t really realise I was doing it. You were also… my first, but I’m sure you realised that, right?’

‘Uh, no, no I didn’t realise’. Jay sounded a little shocked.

‘Well, I am so glad that you were Jay. I wouldn’t have wanted that experience with anyone else. You made everything easy and fun and light. So don’t ever think that what we had was meaningless or I don’t love you anymore, because I do’.

‘Why are you telling me all this?’

‘I am telling you all this because its true and you mean more to me than just a conquest as you seem to think. I know you’re hurting and it pains me to know this. I can’t change anything or wish things to be different, because this is it. This is how things are now. We need to find a way to coexist together in this new reality’.

Jay nodded. He looked up momentarily from his fiddling, an acknowledgement of sorts. ‘Nya… Thanks. I still don’t feel great, but thanks’.

‘Ok, I’m going to go. I hope we see you again soon?’

He continued to nod as Nya rose. As she left the Control room, Jay looked down to the side of the bench at a packed rucksack. He had some thinking to do and he felt better placed to do this elsewhere. He had planned to leave today, but had been procrastinating on this technical conundrum in front of him. It was a timepiece and compass. A purely mechanical object that he felt quite linked to at this point. He wanted to complete it and make it operational again. Gazing at it through the magnifying glass he found himself lost in its delicate cogs, beautifully crafted and etched with intricate designs. He could stare at it for minutes and then hours. It would be day and then it would be night and not much had happened apart from his exploration of the inner workings of the piece. He may never manage to fix it, but he would take it with him and keep trying. If nothing else it would remind him that even if things can’t be fixed, life is changeable and perhaps changing his might lead him to a new destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming soon: A Ripped World sequel.  
> Following on from the end of this story, it will focus on Jay and Kai and how the changes in the team alter their paths.
> 
> Thank you for reading. Please do leave a comment if you enjoyed it (or not, but please be constructive) :-)


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